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217 Today: Midwest gardeners are planting milkweed for Monarch butterflies despite bans

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Oliver Hernandez, of Overland, Kansas, poses with a common milkweed plant in his front yard in 2020. A tiny, young monarch caterpillar and even tinier monarch eggs are visible on the underside of a leaf.
  • Photo: Ginger Werp

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Today’s headlines: 

  • After nearly 6 weeks of testimony – the federal bribery trial of four former Commonwealth Edison executives and lobbyists is coming to a close.
  • Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson is urging state lawmakers to change how school districts are paid.
  • A new exhibit called “Welcome to the Pow-wow” opened this month at the Spurlock Museum at the University of Illinois.
  • Counselors at Parkland College discussed the toll that racism takes on the mental and physical health of African Americans.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about Midwest gardeners breaking bans on planting milkweed to help Monarch butterflies reproduce.

Reporting today contributed by Dave McKinney, Alex Degman, Emily Hays, Reginald Hardwick and Celia Llopis-Jepsen. 

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Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.